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Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Cinder: The Lunar Chronicles

by Marissa Meyer

Review Date:

07/09/2014

Recommended Age:

14+

Overall Rating:

Profanity / Language Rating:

Violence / Gore Rating:

Sex / Nudity Rating:

Overall Review:

Take Cinderella, one of the best fairytales of all time, but fast forward into the future with androids and cyborgs and you have Cinder. Meyer kept the story true enough to the original that it was familiar, but also added plenty of changes to keep you guessing. While the cover is beautiful it also looks a bit eerie to me so I anticipated the story to be creepy or scary; however, I was relieved that it wasn't. (I don't do scary.) As usual, the stepmother was extra wicked, but Meyer threw in an additional villain to make things even more interesting. All the characters were painted perfectly and the story was filled with suspense to keep you speed reading. The story of Cinder doesn't end when this book does so we're not sure if she gets her happily ever after. However, the next book is already available (the review is on CBR) so you can quickly find out what happens next. I can't wait!

Cinder is technically book two of The Lunar Chronicles, which is a five book series about fairytale princesses whose worlds come together. Fairest is the prequel to Cinder and is scheduled to be released in January 2015 and the fifth book, Winter will be published November 2015. The series also includes a few short stories.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 4 mild obscenities

Violence/Gore: Many (28) brief incidents including character dreaming about getting burned in a fire; character joking about killing people; characters worried about a war occurring; character concerned that she'll be killed; characters lips red as if just drank blood (but didn't); character wants to kill someone; reference to what the song "Ring Around the Rosies" means; second hand report of people dying from plague; a few stories of people dying and getting killed; second hand report of stun gun getting used on character; war references; second hand report of character committing suicide; character slugs another; parent hits child; character hits robots; ID chips get cut out of people's arms after they are dead; fantasy characters destroyed; store burned down (no one is in the building); people die from plague.

Sex/Nudity: Several (12) brief incidents including character getting picked up after fall; hand kissed; touching hand; kissing; dancing; character thinks about another being nude; female characters in revealing clothing; characters joke about another having illegitimate children; character jokingly suggests another gets an "escort".